Process for cleaning fabrics



March 29, 1932 e. E. OLSEN PROCESS FOR CLEANING FABRICS Filed Nov. 18,1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 29, 1932.

e. E. OLSEN PROCESS FOR CLEANING FABRICS 1929 2 Sheets-S11E61 ue/nZbr-Filed Nov. l

Patented Mar. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE E. OLSEN, OIGREEN BAY, WISCONSIN PROCESS FOR CLEANING FABRICS Application filedNovember 1a, 1929. Serial in. 408,120.

rapes and fabrics regardless of their texof Figure 3.

ture.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel process andap aratus wherein the garments are first run t rough naphtha, gasoline,or a similar fluid to form a protection for the fabrics, and is then runthrough chemically treated water which contains chemicals having proerties for remov- :0 ing dirt and stains, as wel as forming protectionto the color and the fabric, and then agitating the water thoroughlythrough the fabric in order to remove all dirt, s ots,

stains, and the like after which it is dramed and partially dried beforebeing hung out for t orough drying.

A further ob cct of my invention is the rovision of an improvedapparatus utilizmg both water and gasoline, or other similar solvent inthe cleaning operation, thus materially increasing the efficiency ofcleaning and removing spots, water marks, persplration, food marks,vet'c., from fabrics which the organic substance will not remove. Astill further object of the invention is the provision of an improvedapparatus for carrying out the novel process referred to above whichconsists of a tank having suitable inlets, drainage and overflow,together with a foraminous container with means for raising and loweringthe container within the tank. v With the above and other objects inview, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, thecombination and a1- rangement of parts hereinafter more fully set orth,pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an apparatus carrying out my improvedprocess; 5 Figure 2 is a detail section of the body of the apparatus,illustrating in plan view the air supply control;

Figure 3 is a vertical section view with parts disclosed 1n elevation;

Fi ure 4 is a detail section on the line 4-4 For carrying out myimproved process, I provide a main tank 1 having suitable supportinglegs 2, and at one side of the tank, I provide a tubular upright 3 inwhich is slidably mounted a plunger 4:, the upper end of the plungerhaving attached thereto the arm 5 of a standard 6. The lower end of thestandard 6 is connected to a wire basket -7 having a hinged cover 8.

In order to properly support the basket 7 with respect to the standard6, I provide a yoke 9, the upper end of which is pivotally connected tothe standard adjacent the arm 5, while the lower ends are connected tothe basket 7 upon opposite sides thereof.

The tubular standard 3 is arranged vertically of the tank 1 and retainedin place by means of the uides 10. The lower end of the tubular member 8is connected to a compressed air supply pipe 11 provided with a controlvalve 12 whereby compressed ,air is utilized for raising the plunger 4:into the tubular member 3.

At one side of the tank 1, I provide a pair of gauges 13 and 14:, and itwill be noted that upon the interior of the tank, I have indicated thelines 15 and 16, the line 15 indicating the high mark of the chemicallytreated water to be used in the tank and this high mark 15 can bereadily noted by the gauge 13 so that the proper quantity of water canbe placed in the tank for carrying out the I process. 0

The line 16 indicated in Figure 3 within the tank can be auged from theexterior of the tank throng the medium of the gauge 14, and this lineindicates the high mark for the naphtha, gasoline, or similar fluid. At17, I have indicated an overflow pipe through which is discharged insuperfluous amounts of naphtha, gasoline or the like, so that only acirtain amount will be maintained in the tan Within the bottom of thetank, I provide a substantially U-shaped perforated air pi e 18, thehorizontal part of which extends d1ametric of the tank and retained inposition by means of the guide 19. One end of the pipe 18 is connectedto the supply pipe 20 in which is arranged a valve 21. The stem of thevalve 21 has a crank arm 22 connected to the lateral arm 23 of'areciprocating rod 24. The rod 24 has a lateral foot iece 25 at its lowerend and the movement 0 the rod is gllilided by the stationary loops 26within the tan The rod 24 is normally maintained in a raised osition andthe valve 21 is normally closed by means of a coil spring 27, one end ofwhich is attached to the crank arm 22 and the other end attached to alateral arm 28 on the pipe 20 adjacent the valve 21.

The apparatus heretofore described is used in m improved process forcleaning and spottlng fabrics and in carrying out the process, thefabrics are placed in the wire basket 7 and the basket is then loweredthrough the naphtha, gasoline, or the like, the fabrics being saturatedwith the same to form a protection therefor, and when the basket islowered suflicient to engage the foot piece 25 and pushed downwardlyinto the water, the valve 21 is opened through a reciprocation of therod 24 against the tension of spring 27. This admits air under pressureinto the tank for agitating the chemically treated water for forcing thesame through the fabrics in the basket.

This action is carried on for a certain length of time and then thebasket is raised by admitting air under pressure into the tubularstandard 3, forcing the plunger upwardly which in turn will raise thebasket.

At this time, it might be well to call attention to the fact that waterto the tank 1 is supplied through a pipe 29 which extends into the tankjust above the overflow 1.7, while gasoline, naphtha, and the like canbe supplied to the tank through the supply pipe 30 which can be arrangeddirectly above the water supply 29, or in any other suitable position.

It will be noted that any gasoline removed from the basket and itscontents, while the same is agitated, in the water, will rise upwardlyinto the gasoline area as the naphtha, gasoline and similar fluid willnot mix with the water, this assuring the fact that the naphtha,gasoline, and the like, will always be on top of the water and thefabrics in the basket will be treated as described, with naphchemicallytreated with any suitable chemi cals contained therein for removing dirtand stain qualities, and also chemicals for the protection of thecoloring of the fabric and for the fabric itself, thus fabrics withinthe basket can be thoroughly cleaned and any spots, water marks,persplration, food marks, and the like, will be quickly removed from thefabrics.

It will also be noted that by using this process, it will not benecessary to remove the trimmings from dresses and similar articles, asno injurious fluid is used and furthermore, the fabrics of which thetrimmings may be constructed will be protected through the saturation ofthese articles with the gasoline or naptha. In view of the fact that thefabrics being cleaned are first dipped in naphtha or the like, the dirtspots are naturally softened to a certain extent and, therefore, it willnot be necessary to have the garment remain in the water solution anyreat length of time, particularly in view 0 .the fact that the watersolution is slightly a itated through the use of compressed air orquickly removing the dirt and stains from the fabrics. It will bereadily appreciated, that by having the fabric first treated withnaphtha, gasoline or the like, to thoroughly saturate the fabric withsuch a fluid, the chemically treated water will not penetrate thefabric, but will have a tendency to remove from the exterior of thefabric any dirt or stains, and from this, it will be noted that myimproved process is extremely useful, not only from a point of laborsaving but from a standpoint. of saving the fabrics from injurg due tothe chemically treated water.

' fter the contents of the tank have been used to a certain extent sothat it is necessary to replenish the supply, a drain plug 31 isarranged in the bottom of the tank .1 whereby the contents can bequickly drawn off and a fresh supply put into the tank. It is believedfrom the foregoing that I have provided a very economical and simpleprocess together with an apparatus for cleaning I claim:

A process of the class described consisting of dipping fabrics inavolatile solvent-to provide a protection for the fabrics, then 5submerging the fabrics in washingwater, in

troducing a pressure in the water for agitat- I ing the same through andaround the fabrics to remove the volatile solvent and the matterloosened thereby. and then removing the fabrics from the washing waterand drying them. n

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atGreen Bay, in' the county of Brown and State of Wisconsin.

GEORGE E. OLSEN.

so I I

